The New York Times codifies the emergent consensus that the Obama team is beginning to integrate health care into their economic efforts. Putting it into the stimulus package would probably prove a heavy lift, but using the urgency of the moment to connect it to the stimulus package, to present it as a crucial measure of safety amidst historic turbulence, wouldn't be too hard. Moving that quickly, however, probably means moving with existing legislation rather than trying to build something new. Which means the key layers are the Senate Democrats, and in particular, Max Baucus and Ted Kennedy. If they can build something that achieves rough consensus among the caucus, Obama could simply name that the vehicle and devote his efforts to using the pressure of the crisis to drive it through the Senate's traditional gridlock. That's why Max Baucus's early plan is so important: It's given other senators a rough draft to examine, critique, and change. And I'm hearing now that Baucus thinks they could have a real bill by January. That seems almost worryingly quick, but it is evidence that speed is being taken seriously. Meanwhile, Kennedy has named Dodd his deputy on heath care, which means there'll be an experienced senator speaking for Kennedy and the HELP Committee if Kennedy's health begins to flag.
